December 12, 2009 was a huge day at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, but it was about more than the waves. Each round three and four heat had so much riding on it that it felt like a day full of finals. There were so many stories: Fanning/Parko, Slater, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, and John J. Florence, the 16 year old who didn’t even hiccup until he met surf strategist Damien Hobgood in heat 2 of round 4. Andy and Bruce Irons both went down in round three (Andy to Damien Hobgood and Bruce to Taj Burrow). Kelly just kept on charging through his heats with the style we remember him having a year ago.
And then there was the heat between wildcard Gavin Gillette, 23, and world number two Joel Parkinson that set up the biggest news of the day. Gillette beat Parko in heat 15 or round 3 and pushed Mick Fanning into his second ASP world championship title. Playing a pivotal role in the title hunt wasn’t something that had escaped the wildcard.
“The thought crossed my mind about 100,000 times that I could have an effect on this year’s World Title in that heat,” Gillette said. “Joel (Parkinson) is one of my all-time favorite surfers and he’s a great guy. We just met up and one of us had to lose, but that’s the way that contest surfing is. Joel knows, he’s been doing this forever.”
Fanning was so fazed by winning the title that he seemed to forget he was even in a contest and paddled out only to get tossed onto the reef. He appeared to pull it back together, but it wasn’t in time to win the heat against Dean Morrison (pictured above). And he was still hazy after being carried up the beach.
“I’m just a bit overwhelmed right now and I don’t quite know what to say,” Fanning said. “It was hard out there. I was trying to get ready for my heat and then Gavin (Gillette) got that one score as I was paddling out and, I don’t know, I just sort of slowed down.”
We said we were only going to watch a couple early heats, but got sucked in glaze-eyed in front of our computer all day long. And we’re not sorry.
Follow the jump for full results and releases from the day or click here for the saucy fresh version from Kid Charlemagne because he was there, tasting the sweat and breathing in the La Roche-Posay.
PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, December 12, 2009) – Solid six-to-eight foot (2 – 3 metre) barrels detonated along the Pipeline reef today as the Billabong Pipe Masters showcased one of the most dramatic days in surfing history.
Event No. 10 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, today’s Billabong Pipe Masters saw the crowning of the 2009 ASP World Champion, a shakeup in Vans Triple Crown (an ASP Specialty Series) as well as a bevy of death-defying and Perfect 10-point rides.
With the Round 3 elimination of remaining contender Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, secured his second ASP World Title (having clinched his inaugural crown in 2007).
“This title is way more fun,” Fanning said. “I was much more relaxed for this one – besides the last few days, I was really nervous.”
A full report on Fanning’s 2009 ASP World Title can be found at www.aspworldtour.com
Kelly Slater (USA), 37, former nine-time ASP World Champion and defending six-time Billabong Pipe Masters Champion, entered the water today and showed the world that he is still one of the best at the infamous break. The Floridian posted a 19.33 out of 20 in his Round 3 heat before a 17.10 in his Round 4 heat to put himself on track for an unprecedented seventh Pipe Masters title.
“It’d be amazing to win another event at Pipeline, but I need to win my next heat first,” Slater said. “It’s the most prestigious event next to the Eddie Aikau. They’re the two events you really want to win. A lot of years, we struggled to get Pipe going, and this year we have had perfect conditions.”
While falling out of the running for the 2009 ASP World Title before Hawaii, Slater was gracious regarding Fanning’s impressive victory today.
“I think Mick’s title win today was great,” Slater said. “Talk about a dominant start with Parko and talk about a more dominant finish with Fanning. He’s been winning everything towards the end of the year. That was really a great seesaw battle. To have it stolen from under you like Joel did, it’s got to be pretty disheartening for Joel right now. It was one of those years where we thought it was going to be boring because Joel was on fire and Mick came back.”
With the 2009 ASP World Title already sealed, several are looking ahead to next season where Slater remains one of the primary candidates for the 2010 crown. However, as ever, the Floridian remains guarded as to his motivations moving forward.
“I don’t know if being out of this year’s title race motivates me for next year,” Slater said. “I think to start this year I wasn’t really motivated. I think I felt a lot of pressure and maybe I didn’t put myself in the game early on. It really has been my year to experiment with equipment and trying to take my surfing in a way that feels better. I did a lot of work on that.”
Slater will face sole remaining wildcard Flynn Novak (HAW), 26, in Quarterfinal 2 when competition resumes.
Gavin Gillette (HAW), 23, wildcard into the Billabong Pipe Masters, will forever be etched into the history books today as the man who finished the 2009 ASP World Title race. Gillette’s show-stopping Pipeline pit in the dying moments of his Round 3 heat netted the young Hawaiian a 9.03 to take the victory and end the title hopes of Parkinson.
“The thought crossed my mind about 100,000 times that I could have an effect on this year’s World Title in that heat,” Gillette said. “Joel (Parkinson) is one of my all-time favorite surfers and he’s a great guy. We just met up and one of us had to lose, but that’s the way that contest surfing is. Joel knows, he’s been doing this forever.”
Gillette would subsequently fall to Californian phenom Dane Reynolds (USA), 24, in Round 4.
C.J. Hobgood (USA), 30, collected one of four Perfect 10-point rides today, utilizing his to push past wildcard Shane Dorian (HAW) in Round 3.
“That was such a perfect wave,” Hobgood said. “Lucky for me Shane (Dorian) and I didn’t have priority, so we were pushing each other deep. That wave was just perfect and I just had to stand there.”
Parkinson’s early elimination opens up the possibility for Hobgood to overtake him in the hunt for the Vans Triple Crown Title.
“I guess anything is possible,” Hobgood said. “I have won Sunset before. I’m not trying to think too much about it now and still need to make a few more heats. I’d like to see it come down to the end though.”
Hobgood faces compatriot Dane Reynolds (USA), 24, in Quarterfinal 4 when competition resumes.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 8am start.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for conditions to drop slightly but remain clean for tomorrow.
When competition resumes, up first will be Dean Morrison (AUS), 28, up against Damien Hobgood (USA), 30, in Quarterfinal 1.
The Billabong Pipe Masters will be webcast LIVE via www.billabongpro.com and www.triplecrownofsurfing.com
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Dean Morrison (AUS) 16.67 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 6.60
Heat 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.57 def. Torrey Meister (HAW) 6.26
Heat 3: Damien Hobgood (USA) 15.07 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 6.10
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 16.93 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.16
Heat 5: Flynn Novak (HAW) 15.50 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.34
Heat 6: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 12.67 def. Michael Picon (FRA) 12.10
Heat 7: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.67 def. Chris Ward (USA) 10.66
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.33 def. Hank Gaskell (HAW) 14.17
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.66 def. Liam McNamara (HAW) 0.33
Heat 10: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 17.17 def. Roy Powers (HAW) 13.80
Heat 11: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.83 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 8.67
Heat 12: Dayyan Neve (AUS) 15.67 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.00
Heat 13: Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 15.17 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 11.94
Heat 14: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.33 def. Shane Dorian (HAW) 11.94
Heat 15: Gavin Gillette (HAW) 13.36 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.56
Heat 16: Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.20 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 10.43
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Dean Morrison (AUS) 16.76 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.16
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.66 def. John John Florence (HAW) 12.00
Heat 3: Flynn Novak (HAW) 12.34 def. Tom Whitaker (USA) 7.54
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.10 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.50
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.83 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 8.50
Heat 6: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.57 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 12.23
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.27 def. Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 5.87
Heat 8: Dane Reynolds (USA) 16.50 def. Gavin Gillette (HAW) 14.00
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
QF 2: Flynn Novak (HAW) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
QF 3: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Mick Fanning Claims Second ASP World Title at the Banzai Pipeline
PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, December 12, 2009) – Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, has been crowned the 2009 ASP World Champion, following a stunning performance at the Banzai Pipeline today.
Heading into the final stop of the 2009 ASP World Tour season, Fanning held the ASP ratings’ lead over fellow Gold Coast surfer Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, and with Parkinson’s Round 3 exit in today’s Billabong Pipe Masters at the hands of wildcard Gavin Gillette (HAW), 23, Fanning secured his second ASP World Title.
“I’m just a bit overwhelmed right now and I don’t quite know what to say,” Fanning said. “It was hard out there. I was trying to get ready for my heat and then Gavin (Gillette) got that one score as I was paddling out and, I don’t know, I just sort of slowed down.”
For the first time since 2003, the ASP World Title came down to the final event of the season at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
“This title is way more fun,” Fanning said. “I was much more relaxed for this one – besides the last few days, I was really nervous.”
The 2009 ASP World Tour season will go down in history as one of the most dramatic, with Parkinson winning three of the first five events before Fanning rallied in the latter half of the season to overtake his good friend.
“I knew I was surfing well,” Fanning said. “It was just a matter of getting that result. I knew it was going to turn around sooner or later. I don’t know, it’s weird the way the world works.”
Fanning’s 2009 ASP World Tour results are as follows:
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: Equal 3rd
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Equal 5th
Billabong Pro Teahupoo: Equal 9th
Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro: Equal 5th
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay: Equal 17th
Hurley Pro Trestles: WINNER
Quiksilver Pro France: WINNER
Billabong Pro Mundaka: Equal 9th
Rip Curl Pro Search: WINNER
Billabong Pipeline Masters: Equal 9th
In the end, and reminiscent of Fanning’s 2007 ASP World Title (clinched in Brazil), the lightning-fast natural-footer was in the water with Parkinson (in between heats) as the scene unfolded. The two lifelong friends embraced, exchanged words and paddled in separate directions.
“We just sort of sat there and hugged and chatted about what’s happened over the last few days and how nervous we both were,” Fanning said. “It was hard to watch what happened to him this year. He had such a stranglehold on the tour and then he had that ankle injury, so as a friend it was hard to watch that. If I wasn’t in the race I would have been gunning for Joel for sure.”
For securing the 2009 ASP World Title, Fanning has also been awarded and extra $50,000 from the Vans Triple Threat bonus package.
While the 2009 ASP World Title has been decided, the 2009 ASP World Tour season is far from over with one more day of competition remaining at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
Following his clinching of the 2009 ASP World Title, Fanning fell to Dean Morrison (AUS), 28, in the opening heat of Round 4.
